Circuit Bending

Here's a cool circuit bending project. It's a circuit bent keyboard mounted inside a rubber rain boot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1wk0ywEWv8

The fun and interesting thing about circuit bending is that it isn't about making a musical instrument in the conventional sense--rather about taking something that has conventional value, like a toy piano, and personalizing it by making it make really crazy noises.

To get started, you might take a toy electric piano, open the case, and just start touching things on the circuit board with your fingers, or with wires, as you play the keys. Get a sound you like, fasten the wires there.

If it just runs on batteries, like, under 9V, it can't really hurt you. I wouldn't play with anything plugged into the wall!

Have fun.

thats very nice project. But i didn't get it all.
can you tell me how to make my own synthesizer using a toy piano(as keyboard) + pc.
it will be nice if you help

Speaking of excellent electronic sounds, click the "listen" link at the top of your blog. The speech robot starts to rap.

Whoa. That electro-spoon player was freaky.

But I agree: My parents just brought out a RadioShack electronics kit from the '70s, and I explored it with my 6-year-old son. The part that got him most excited was when we hooked up the speaker. It was just playing static, but it didn't matter. It was all about control and chaos.